Cowboys, Saints Each Fined $500K for Practice Brawls
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- The NFL fined the Cowboys and Saints $500,000 each for multiple fights at their joint practice on Tuesday — punches were thrown, a helmet was tossed, and one player was body-slammed as skirmishes broke out on both fields.
- The Competition Committee has long made sportsmanship a point of emphasis, and the NFL reminded all clubs by memo before training camp of their responsibility to prevent unsportsmanlike conduct with potential for injury at joint practices.
- Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer and Saints coach Kellen Moore discussed whether to call practice early but opted to finish the session on time.
- Schottenheimer said earlier Tuesday that the NFL had requested the practice film to review for potential fines.
- The team fines are appealable, and any individual player fines would likely fall to their respective teams.
- Moore noted the Saints had clean joint practices against the Rams that day and Jacksonville the prior week, calling the Cowboys session the lone blemish.
Why it matters: Each team owes a $500,000 penalty — a rare six-figure financial hit for training camp misconduct, with fines appealable and individual player discipline still to be determined. The league-level penalty signals the NFL is willing to fine organizations, not just players, when joint practices spiral.
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